Originally published 30 August 1996

Another Example of Beer-Can Ears in Corn

The 'Beer Can Ear Syndrome' in corn was described in an
accompanying article. The stunted ears shown in this
document were taken a field in northwest Indiana on August 30 that was planted
in late May of 1996. The previous crop was soybean and the tillage was
zero-till.

The field is located immediately west of a limestone crushing facility and
north of a hardsurfaced road that was previously limestone rocked. The stunted
ears were most prevalent in the southwest corner of the field which tends to lie
lower than other areas of the field. Soil samples taken throughout the affected
area indicated a soil pH of about 6.6, while samples from less affected areas of
the field (closer to the limestone crusher and higher elevation) indicated soil
pH values of 6.9 to 7.1.

Plants from which ears were found to be severely stunted appeared no less
healthy than those whose ears were less stunted. Leaves, stalks, and husks were
green with no visible damage or nutrient deficiencies. Husk leaves were
essentially normal length and color for severely and less severely stunted ears
(Fig. 1).